


Brothers, But Not Really

by IdShipIt



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: also i feel like claude and cyril could have bonded a little more, as in, if you haven't finished verdant wind and married claude probably not a good idea to read, slight spoilers for claude's heritage, where's my cyril and claude B+ support intsys huh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-04
Updated: 2019-09-04
Packaged: 2020-10-10 04:33:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20521997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IdShipIt/pseuds/IdShipIt
Summary: Claude and Cyril head to town on request of Lady Rhea. They're mistaken as brothers as Claude helps Cyril get out of a sticky situation.





	Brothers, But Not Really

**Author's Note:**

> I had this idea after remembering a three houses analysis video I watched before the game came out where someone mentioned Cyril being introduced and thinking there was a possibility of him being Claude's younger brother. lol
> 
> in a nutshell, this is Claude saying Fuck Racism.

“Hey, Cyril! I heard you’re going into town,” Claude called out to the younger boy. He jogged up to him. “Rh-Lady Rhea asked me to join you.”

“Why would Lady Rhea ask  _ you _ to join me?” Cyril asked. He momentarily paused as Claude reached him. 

“Ouch, that stung a little. It was something along the lines of ‘protecting you’ and such.”

“I can handle myself.” Cyril began walking toward the monastery exit. 

“Hey, now. You don’t want to ignore an order from Lady Rhea, do you?”

Cyril stopped. He turned back and looked at Claude. “Fine. But don’t waste time while we're there. I want to get what Lady Rhea asked for and come back to the monastery. There’s a lot of things that need to be done around here.”

Claude silently followed the boy into town. Cyril might have been only fourteen, but he was rather crass toward others. Since Cyril was from Almyra, he wondered if the boy knew who he was… and if his attitude would change if he knew. 

The closest town to the monastery was a well-known trading market across Fódlan. Students often traveled to the town on free days to get a change of pace from the monastery. Most traveled in groups since thieves often camped on the path to town and were known to prey on students traveling alone. Which is why Rhea “asked” Claude to join Cyril.

Well, actually, Claude overheard a messenger giving Cyril a list of things to buy from the market. Conveniently, Claude also needed to go into town for a few ingredients to make up his next batch of his latest experiment. But Teach wouldn’t let him go unless he found someone to go with (“monastery rules,” apparently), even though he could take down a band of thieves on his own. No one in his class wanted to come with, even Hilda of all people. Normally, she would jump on the chance to leave town with anyone to avoid doing work, but apparently her father had cut back on her allowance since she was spending too much money on accessories and clothes she found in town, so she saw no reason to go with him. 

So, Claude told Teach he found someone and told Cyril that Rhea wanted him to go with him. Perfect plan, a win-win situation. 

As usual, the town was bustling with hundreds of merchants and even more customers. 

“Alright, kid--”

“Hey!”

“--I’m going to go get what I need and you can get what you need. Meet here when you’re done.” Claude left Cyril, ignoring his cries of “so much for protecting me.”

The kid wanted to get done with his list and leave, so did Claude. He also didn’t want Cyril seeing what he was buying, lest he reported him to Rhea. Teach was kind enough to just chastize him when he “accidentally” poisons other students, but the other professors and the Knights of Seiros always seem to report to Rhea what he had done, which just leads to a cruel punishment of shoveling horse dung. It only took one time for him to never reveal his poisonings to anyone but Teach. 

After buying everything he needed, Claude placed the tiny burlap sack he brought with him in his coat pocket. Coincidentally, Cyril was at the stall next to his, trying to barter with the merchant for a new axe. Unfortunately, the merchant wasn’t taking too kindly to his heritage and was trying to charge him triple of what the axe was actually worth. 

Claude knew what it was like to be discriminated against because of his heritage. He may not have known much about Cyril, but he wasn’t going to let the merchant do that to the kid. 

“Hey, there you are, kiddo!” He called over to Cyril, both him and the merchant looking over at him. He came over and ruffled Cyril’s hair. “I was looking all over for you.”

“Oh, now you’ve got your older brother involved,” the merchant scoffed. 

“He’s not my--” Cyril started, but Claude interrupted him. 

“What seems to be the problem here with you and my  _ little brother _ , sir?” He placed his hand on Cyril’s shoulder and squeezed. Claude gave Cyril a look of  _ just go with it.  _ At this moment, he was pretty glad him and Cyril looked slightly alike. 

“Well, I don’t take too kindly to  _ his kind _ \--”

“‘His kind’?”

“Those damned barbaric Almyrans.”

Claude felt himself grip his empty hand so tight he felt his fingernails pierce into his hand. This wasn’t the first time he heard a Fódlander insult Almyra, but it was the first time someone had done so knowing (or at least, assuming) he was Almyran. 

“Well, sir, here I am, born and raised in Almyra and I’m mediating what could have become a serious argument between you and my brother here. Am I barbaric?”

“Well, no--”

“No? I think a barbarian might have already raised a weapon to you for that insult back there, huh?”

“I guess--”

“So then we’re in agreement here? I, an Almyran, am not a barbarian.”

“Well, you’re not like the others.”

“‘The others’? Oh, you mean those who battle at the border of Fódlan. Well, you see, if you were more inclined to learn of Almyran customs, you would know that we do that to honor the dead who have fallen in battle.” Claude felt his anger rising by the minute. “Now, I couldn’t help but overhear you were trying to charge my little brother here an axe triple the normal price.”

The merchant grew red in the face, both from embarrassment and anger. “It’s worth the price--”

“Don’t lie to me. I saw this exact axe at the monastery last week. In fact, I bought it last week. Now, why don’t you give my little brother the  _ actual  _ price and we can move on.”

Grumbling, the man told Cyril the now-lower price. Cyril handed over the gold coins, then took the axe. 

The two walked silently through the town. That was the last item Cyril needed, as Lady Rhea asked him to get himself a new axe since his previous one had broken. 

As they reached the path back toward the monastery, Cyril turned to Claude. “Thank you,” he said. 

“No problem,  _ little brother _ ,” Claude smirked at the younger. 

“For the record, I don’t think we look  _ that _ much alike.”

“Oh, come on, Cyril. Except for the eyes, we’re like a split image of each other,” Claude joked. In reality, Cyril was a few shades darker than he was, but the hair color was pretty much the same. Some of Claude’s features were more Fódlan (especially his eyes and his lighter skin tone), but you could definitely tell there was  _ some _ Almyran. 

“It is bothering me, though. How did you know so much about Almyra? Most people from Fódlan don’t know that much, and there’s no books about Almyra in the library that are accurate.”

“Looks like I've trapped myself in a corner here. I supposed I can’t use the excuse of read it in a book somewhere, huh?”

“Nope,” Cyril agreed. 

“Alright, alright. You’re Almyran, so I guess I can tell ya. I actually was born and raised in Almyra. But, my mom’s from Fódlan.”

“Oh! Just like the prince of Almyra! I heard his mom was also from Fódlan.”

Claude felt his heart slamming in his chest. That was the one thing he was  _ not fine _ with  _ anyone _ knowing. “Yeah,” Claude said coolly. “Just like him. I supposed I do relate to him a lot, with shared ancestry and all. Kinda feel bad for the guy too, ya know. I can’t even  _ imagine _ what it would be like to grow up as royalty and only half-Almyran.” 

“So was this like a big secret or somethin’? You seemed pretty reluctant to share that you’re part Almyran. I don’t think it’s anything to be ashamed of.” Of course, it was a big secret. Knowing he was half-Almyran was just one step closer to learning who his father was. 

“Yeah, you may think that, but the rest of Fódlan doesn’t. And Almyra didn’t take too kindly to me being part Fódlan either.”

“Hmm, I supposed they wouldn’t. I get the feeling you wouldn’t want me to talk about this, huh?”

“Oh, please, Cyril.”

“Good. As payment for this, why don’t you help me with my axe skills. My last axe broke because I wasn’t very good at using it, and I gotta protect Lady Rhea as best as I can.”

“You know what, I think I will, kid.”

“And stop calling me ‘kid’!”

**Author's Note:**

> I've been wanting to write a lot of byleth x claude fics here recently, so go check out the one I have published: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20419547
> 
> I have plans for more three houses fics because I have a massive hyperfixation at the moment and can't stop thinking about three houses. Seriously. They're mostly byleth x claude fics bc Hoooo Boy do I have a big ole crush on mr. claude fire emblem. 
> 
> Also, if you want to scream about Claude or three houses in general with me, please follow me on tumblr: IdShip-It.tumblr.com


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